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Justin Leng Zhan Chun, a 28-year-old Singaporean man, passed away on March 14, 2023, after a five-year battle with bone cancer.

His passing was reported by Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, as well as Malaysia's China Press, which revealed that Leng saw to his own funeral preparations and took care of his own affairs in the event he passed away, so as to take the burden off his family.

Both reports celebrated Leng's tenacity in the face of adversity.

Diagnosed in 2018

Leng was first diagnosed with osteosarcoma in May 2018, while in his second year at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) business school.

He had gone to the dentist because of a toothache, but X-rays revealed that he had a tumour under the left jawbone.

He had to stop schooling for about two years, China Press reported, and only returned to university in 2020.

Started treatment early

Leng's 75-year-old father told Zaobao that his son started chemotherapy without delay after his diagnosis and had surgery to remove his left lower jaw, adding that his son worked with his doctors on what to do.

For almost a year until May 2019, Leng continued playing basketball regularly to exercise his body in the hopes of defeating the disease.

Leng had plans to go to Canada on a university exchange programme in 2018, but these plans were initially shelved as he had to undergo treatment.

Upon completing treatment and successfully entering remission in June 2019, he immediately resumed his plans and flew abroad to complete his exchange semester in Toronto, Canada, a family friend of Leng's told Mothership.

Cancer spread

However, during a follow-up visit to the doctor in June 2020, Leng was found to have an abnormality next to his ear.

After examination, it was confirmed that the cancer cells had spread.